


An Autumn Afternoon (Prompt One Shot)

by rotrude



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Autumn, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-09
Updated: 2017-09-09
Packaged: 2018-12-25 18:03:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12041283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rotrude/pseuds/rotrude
Summary: Merlin has always loved Autumn afternoons, but this one's special for a particular reason.





	An Autumn Afternoon (Prompt One Shot)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Nympha_Alba](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nympha_Alba/gifts).



> Based on a prompt by Nympha_Alba! Thank you so much for supplying it!

Rain fell in sheets, driving off brown leaves from the trees surrounding the garden. The mist had gone up, but the sun was still a pale disc in the sky, peeking out from between the grey clouds fleecing the horizon. 

Merlin took his eyes off the window and turned off the gas beneath the kettle, pouring water in the mugs. He inhaled the steam coming from the hot liquid, wrapped his hands around the vessels to get heat from them. When it started to scald, he removed them. He watched the tea infuse and turn golden before pouring milk in. He added sugar and honey to the content of one of the mugs, only sugar to the other.

Having put the mugs on a tray, he walked back into the parlour. With the big bow window fronting it, it afforded a better view of the garden than the kitchen one. The rake, which Merlin had leant against the back-door, had fallen amid a cluster of leaves, and the broom looked like it would soon follow.

Arthur looked up from his reading of “A Global History of Football”. “If you're thinking about the tools, I'll pull them myself as soon as it stops raining.”

Merlin supposed it wasn't so urgent. He put the tray on the low coffee table and grabbed a mug for himself. He sat in front of the fireplace. The fire was crackling gently along, flames licking at the wood cutting they'd piled at the centre. It glowed orange, illuminating the room in its sheen.

Without really standing up from his own armchair, Arthur took his mug.

Thanks to the fire going, and the knitted jumper he had on, Merlin was fending off the chill of the day rather successfully. He stretched his legs so they were closer to the warmth. “I was thinking,” he said, musing aloud, “it's all nice.”

“What is?” Arthur turned a page, paper swishing subtly.

“I don't know.” Merlin couldn't put it into words himself. It was just a feeling. “Me, you, the warmth.”

“I like the warmth,” Arthur said, not taking his eyes from the book. “I got all wet when I went for my run this morning.”

Merlin wouldn't know. He had overslept. While sometimes he joined Arthur, that hadn't been the case that morning. Once awake, he'd worked in the garden. When it had started raining in a sudden burst, his clothes had got a bit damp, but he had been able to change quickly. “It's not that exactly.”

Arthur turned around. “Then what is it?”

Merlin didn't know how to put it into words. It went past the physical sensation of well being that came from being warm inside while outside it rained. The atmosphere had something to do with it. Merlin had always liked fires and tea was his favourite. The day was quietly ticking by; even the neighbours weren't noisy. But it wasn't that. Though he told himself that it must be, he knew there was another reason. Then it occurred to him and he smiled.

“Merlin?” Arthur cocked his head. “You're making a weird face.”

Merlin conceded that was probably the case. “Will you marry me?”

Putting his book down, Arthur squared his body, feet firmly on the ground, pointing outwards, both hands splayed on the armchair's armrests. “I'm sorry?”

Oops. Merlin had gone and done it. Just because he had thought about it, it didn't mean that he had to go and blab it out. Going by Arthur's reaction, they clearly weren't ready for it yet. If he hadn't spoken they would be all right. But he had and now everything would be awkward. Arthur's 'no' resounding in Merlin's head every time he thought about them together. And now he wouldn't be able to anymore, because he'd think Arthur didn't want him, not for good, which had been rather the point of Merlin's question. “Nothing.”

“No, you most distinctly said something.” Arthur stared at him as though by dint of doing it he could get him to repeat the sentence he'd last spoken.

“I didn't.” Merlin compressed his lips and mimed zipping them.

“Come on, Merlin,” Arthur said. “I know you said something.” He reddened. “It sounded like a proposal.”

“It wasn't.” Arthur's face fell and Merlin couldn't bear that. Even at risk of sounding ridiculous, he made himself say it. “I might have asked you to marry me.” Seeing as Arthur was spluttering, Merlin added, “I wasn't looking for a clinch on a date. I just thought I'd... ask... for the future. A remote future if necessary.”

Arthur spoke. “I will.”

“You will?” Merlin wasn't sure he had heard correctly or that the answer pertained to the original question. “You will what?”

“Marry you.” Arthur shrugged his shoulders. 

“You don't have to!” Merlin was quick to say it, just in case Arthur felt now pressured to answer yes just because Merlin had asked. “I mean do what you want.”

As he observed Merlin, Arthur tilted his head. “I'm doing what I want. I'm saying yes.”

Hope started to fill Merlin's heart, making him giddy on it. “Really?” Arthur wouldn't lie. He never did. Though he occasionally took the piss. “I mean for real?”

Arthur looked at Merlin as though he was stupid. “That's what I'm saying. For real.”

At the news Merlin couldn't contain himself any longer. He jumped out of his sofa perch and landed at Arthur's knees. That hurt a bit but wasn't the point at all. He could forget all pain when Arthur was this close and looking at him as though he was something a bit weird but equally precious. With eager hands he grabbed Arthur's face. He put a variety of small kisses on his lips until Arthur embraced him and deepened the kiss himself. It was a while before they came up for breath, and by then Merlin's lips tingled, but Merlin, though a little confused for the lack of air, resurfaced with a grin stamped on his face and light heartedness worked deep in his heart. “Thank you.”

Arthur rolled his eyes. “You're welcome.” Then brow knitted, he said, “But what made you ask?”

Merlin sat back on his haunches. “I was thinking this was the perfect afternoon. We have a nice fire going, we're doing the things we like, we're all warm and cosy inside.”

Given the crumpled brow, Arthur still appeared confused by Merlin's thought processes.

Merlin continued, “And I thought to myself we should do this more often.”

“You, me and a cuppa?” Arthur grinned.

Merlin knew was Arthur was pulling his leg, but now that he had his answer, he didn't even mind. Arthur had leave to do it for weeks without Merlin retaliating. Okay, maybe a week. “But what really struck me,” Merlin went on undaunted, “was that I'd be happy even if some things were missing. Like, I don't know, the fire, or the Earl Grey, or even mum's knits.”

“What, Hunith's knits?” Arthur's lips turned downwards. “Gone?”

“Yes, even those.” His mum's knits were chunky and kept you well insulated from the cold but even they weren't worth the happiness he had with Arthur. “What really I couldn't do without was you. And I realised that all in one moment.”

“You didn't know before?” Arthur kept on his sad expression. There was a light in his eyes though that was full of merriment at Merlin's upcoming reaction.

“Oh shut up, you know what I meant.” And even if Arthur didn't know, it didn't much matter. Merlin had explained himself on the really serious score. And they were marrying, some day soon. That was cause for rejoicing, so much so that he was already half ecstatic with unnamed sensations. He felt he could fly. He wondered if he'd ever come down and sort of hoped he would not. “Kiss me again now.”

And Arthur did. It was their very first kiss as an engaged couple.


End file.
